But is this really true?
According to a Forbes article written by the renowned productivity expert Kevin Kruse, “Man moves naturally from full concentration and energy to physiological fatigue every 90 minutes”.
Kruse also mentioned that we need to take short breaks every 90 minutes during the day to stay productive.
In this article, we will talk about the most common methods of taking short breaks during the day to restore your energy, renew your willpower, and keep your productivity at an optimal level.
When do you have to take a short break?
How do you know when to take a break? You will often know this automatically because your body and mind will get tired and you will feel it, and sometimes we have to set breaks within our day so that we have time to regenerate and restore our energy.
There are four ways to know when to take a short break:
1. Normal breaks
One of the best moments to stop work and take short breaks is a normal break; all you have to do is pay close attention to the natural rhythm of your average work day. There are times when you feel unable to concentrate and are idle, and you will feel like you are constantly losing focus. This may be an indication that your body needs to take a break.
So, pay attention to the rhythm of your normal body and take a short break when necessary.
2. Follow the Pomodoro Technique
A good method of productivity is the use of the Pomodoro technique or “tomato technique,” a simple method that involves working for 25 minutes and taking a short break for 5 minutes.
After 4 sessions of work, take a longer break (15–30 minutes); this will ensure you get enough rest to keep your focus and energy level high.
Fortunately, you don't have to stick to a precise time frame as outlined in the Pomodoro technology; you can just customize your time to suit you.
For example, instead of working for 25 minutes, you can work for 40 or 50 minutes, then take a break for 5 or 10 minutes.
The solution is to have time to rest so that you can regain your energy and concentration.
3. Schedule breaks
If you think the Pomodoro Technique is not ideal for you, you can use this method and select the appropriate breaks for you; what matters here is to intentionally force yourself to take a break.
For example, you can set aside time for a short 15- or 30-minute break every day around 3:30 p.m., during which time you will do nothing but rest your body and mind.
Have you ever wondered why there are breaks in school? The aim is for the children to be able to regain their activity and focus better after the break.
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4. Take a lunch break
If you think you're too busy to take a lunch break, think about it again. Lunch isn't just related to eating; it's a great time to take a short break and relax, so try not to miss lunch, even if you're not hungry or don't want to eat. Just take a break.
13 Motivational Activities You Can Do When Taking Short Breaks
Now that you know why you need to take a break and how you should do it, it remains to review the activities you can do during the break. So here are 13 great tips you can apply:
1. Go for a walk
Walking can increase blood flow and improve oxygen flow to your brain as you move your body, enhance your creativity, and allow you to focus well.
Steve Jobs is known for conducting meetings on foot, and studies have shown that walking can increase our creativity by 60%.
2. Have a snack
According to the World Health Organization, eating healthy foods can raise your productivity levels by 20% on average. In other words, what you consume can greatly affect your productivity. Do you know that you sometimes feel tired and sleepy after lunch because of the food you eat?
3. Daydream
Both daydreaming and allowing your mind to think about anything random are good activities that help you take a break. When you work, you use a lot of your mental strength to think, and the best way to rest your mind is daydreaming.
According to an article by Georgia Tech, “people who frequently use daydreaming reported that they scored the highest levels of intellectual and creative ability and had more efficient brain systems measured by an MRI." Therefore, devoting time to daydreaming is a good way to give your brain breaks and raise your creative energy.
4. Accelerated reading
We all know that reading is important and we should make it a habit. So we should read during breaks.
5. Listen to music
Music can greatly affect our mood and emotions, and listening to quiet music when taking a break can make your comfort much more effective; it calms your mood and has many health benefits as well.
6. Take a nap
Taking a nap is another effective way to rest and regain your energy. Most exceptional people, like artist Leonardo Da Vinci, the two scientists Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, and politician John F. Kennedy and others, have used this way through their day.
7. Exercise
We all know that exercising is good and can make you feel happy, give you more energy, and improve your ability to focus when you get back to work.
Surely you don't have to sweat and exercise so hard; doing a little exercise for a maximum of 10 minutes can make you fully active and raise your productivity to a higher level.
8. Meditate
This is one of the most effective ways to help your mind relax, reduce your stress, and increase your concentration. It has been scientifically proven that meditation is a great way to reduce stress, promote mental health, and increase your attention span.
9. Go Out to Nature
It can be very convenient to stop working a little and go out into nature. When you spend a lot of time in your office and work on your computer for long hours, it can be nice to take a short break outside.
However, it can be difficult to find natural green spaces near your workplace, but you should know that spending time in nature can modify your mood, help you relax, and improve your concentration.
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10. Exercise some exercises that benefit the eye:
This method is important, especially for people who work in front of the computer screen for long hours. It is possible that your eyes will feel stressed and tired after looking for several hours at the computer screen.
For this reason, it is important to stop, get some rest, and exercise to rest your eyes.
Use the 20-20-20 rule: Take a short break every 20 minutes for 20 seconds, and focus on something 20 feet away from you.
11. Talk to someone
Spending a lot of time gossiping and chattering is a bad idea, but if you do it properly and talk about constructive things instead of chattering, it can help you relax and increase your productivity.
According to a study conducted at a call center, workers who talked more with their colleagues were able to work quickly, felt less stress, and their job evaluation was no different from their co-workers.
So, take a few minutes to talk to your friends or colleagues during the short breaks, as this will help.
12. Plan and review your day and goals
We all know it's important to review our plans and objectives during the day. Therefore, you can use your free time and your time when you take a short break to do so.
Doing so will motivate you and give you a state of clarity to see why you're doing it. It is a good way to use breaks to remind yourself of your goals and adjust your actions when necessary.
13. Enjoy using social media
Use this method moderately. Too much use of social media is a waste of time and can turn into an addiction. But if you spend the right amount of time on social media, it can help boost your productivity so that you feel connected with others.
Lawyer David Ginsberg wrote, “Engaging actively with people, especially sharing messages, posts, and comments with close friends and restoring previous memories, is linked to improvements in health and wellness. This ability to connect with relatives, classmates, and work has drawn most of us to use Facebook in the first place, and it is not surprising that staying connected with these friends and loved ones makes us happy and strengthens our connection to society.”
Spending a lot of time on social media is bad, but if you use it at the right time, it can bring you happiness and improve your mood.
In conclusion
Having learned why it is important to take short breaks throughout the day and how to do so, try to apply these 13 activities to help you relax and regain your activity, energy, and focus.
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